Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

S&T Project 1765 Final Report: Truckee Canal Seepage Study

Published by Bureau of Reclamation | Department of the Interior | Catalog Last Checked: April 18, 2026 at 01:11 AM | Dataset Last Updated: March 02, 2023 at 08:21 PM
Quantifying seepage losses from unlined irrigation canals is necessary to improve water use and conservation. The use of heat as a tracer is widely used in quantifying seepage rates across the sediment-water interface. In this study, field observations and two-dimensional numerical models were used to simulate seepage losses during the 2018 and 2019 irrigation season in the Truckee Canal system. Nineteen transects were instrumented with temperature probes and stage recording devices for inverse modeling to derive seepage flux and volumetric losses over the 39 km length of canal. The numerical models for each transect were calibrated and validated using the two-year dataset. Soil zones and observation data were used in each numerical model to help guide calibration of vertical and lateral heat and fluid fluxes. Model simulations were used to derive multivariable regression equations that consider stage, temperature, and hydraulic gradient. The results demonstrate the value of long-term datasets that illustrate the seasonality of groundwater levels, siltation, stage, and temperature on seepage rates. Seepage rates estimated by the numerical models range from 0.16 to 4.6 m3 d-1 m-1. Total annual volumetric losses estimated for 2018 and 2019 were 1.6 x 10-2 to 1.2 x 10-2 km3, respectively. The seepage losses estimated by this study account for 32% to 41% of the inflow volumes. Regression models were able to reproduce seepage time-series simulated by the numerical models reasonably well. In arid environments, water diverted into irrigation canals may be influenced by seasonal variations in temperature sufficient to influence the water accounting of conveyed surface flows.

Resources

2 resources available

  • RISE Item Details Page URL for "S&T Project 1765 Final Report: Truckee Canal Seepage Study"

    TEXT/HTML
  • PDF File for "S&T Project 1765 Final Report: Truckee Canal Seepage Study"

    APPLICATION/PDF

Find Related Datasets

Search by Tags

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov